DEMARCHE ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEUR:

UNCLAS MANILA 000716 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS DEPT ALSO FOR DRL/MLGA (PAZ) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL RP DPRK SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEUR: PHILIPPINES REVIEWING COUNTRY-SPECIFIC PRACTICES REF: A. STATE 27281 ¶B. 2007 MANILA 3710 ¶1. (SBU) Human Rights Division Director Josephine Reynante of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Office for United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO) told poloff March 17 that the DFA is currently reviewing its practice of supporting exceptional country-specific resolutions. As a general rule the Philippines does not support country-specific resolutions (ref B). After listening to points about the important role that the Philippines plays on the UN Human Rights Council as a leader among Southeast Asian democracies (ref A),Reynante said the Philippine position supporting the Special Rapporteur for the human rights situation in North Korea had not changed. Reynante framed that support, however, as being based on the June 2007 "compromise package," which included rapporteurs for other countries (excluding Cuba and Belarus) and, she carefully noted, had been adopted by consensus. Post will continue to follow up with the DFA on this issue. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/ KENNEY